Eye exerciser



June 5, 1951 c. PQFELTS ETAL 2,555,636

EYE EXERCISER Filed Dec. 3, 1949 V 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J Jrtiorngy June 5, 1951 G. P. FELTS E-TAL 5 6 v EYE EXERCISER r Filed Dec. 5, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'INVENTOR Gordon .ZF Z is ifobertnfs gy Patented June 5, T951 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE Gordon P; Felts. and RobertW. Seeger, Pasadena, Calif.

Application December. 3, 1949, Serial No. 1313005.

1 Claim. 1

Our invention relates to: improved means. and

strengthen. eyesight and correct vision.

Among. the objects. of the present invention is.

to prevent liquid which is used for applying pressure and treatment of the eyeballs from leaking out, of a mask which is used to apply the liquid. A. further obiect is; to provid an mprov d m od by which the eyeballs; are strengthened and; vision is: corrected. In the present invention fluid: of predetermined; or variable pressure and kind s pl ed either whi e dormant r W il cir u lated in contact with the eyeballs for a predeter: mined period during which the eyes or a patient are exercised- We have found in practice that it. is difficult. to apply a. mask. wh ch s d. n the. face andover the eyes of a patient so as to prevent fluid w ch mp yed n Contact i h the eyeballs under varying conditions oi pressure fr m l a in nd r ducin i pr ssu eeaki g of xercising lu the o r u e e e fectiveness both of the apparatus and method employed and this objection is also corrected by our inven-. tion. It also has been found that any leaking of fluid from the mask on the face of the pa tient is annoying and therefore objectionable. Among the objects of the present improvement is to provide an improved method and means for overcoming; the above objections and for applying. fluid medium under constant or variable pressure or while dormant or circulating in contact with the eyeballs and for sealing a mask which is. employed tightly on the face surrounding the eyes so as to prevent exercising fluid within the mask from losing pressure and lea-king. A further object. is to fasten and seal the mask which is employed over the eyes and on the face of a patient. who is treated while the eyes of the patient are exercised simultaneously under the direction of an attendant and during contact. with exercising fluid.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is an elevation looking into the back of our improved mask by which our improved method of treating the eyeballs is carried into practice, part of the strap by which the mask is first held on the face, being broken away; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan looking down on the lower edge of the mask; Fig. 3 is a section of a detail taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is another section of a portion of the structure taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, at increased scale; Fig. 6 is a typical illustration showing our improved mask connected with a type of liquid source for exerits-25.)

cising the eyes, and with a source of negative air. pressure for simultaneously holding the mask, rmly an ghtly on the fooo of a nati nflfF-i is a id vat ill st at n an alt rnative. c tr on by which exercisin liquid ismantt t b cir u ted cont nu sly hro gh he flj ld chamber in the mask a in contact with the e eballs of a patient; Fi 8 is; a. side elevationallsection f on a e native con r tion of our invent m w ngdies Iii-ma ly e. ma applied on. th race of a p. 1g- 9.' .sa ction or a ail k n approx mato y n the. line 9+9. of F g. 8-; d F g. l0; sa s ctio detail, showing another alternative construction of our in: v on t t The drawnesrepr so t o r mp ov xerciser which employs afrnask mask is. molded into a self contained bodyo,ut,'o;f rubber, c Dhane or other i lexi le material and has an inner concave. surface, I. (Fig. 2),. which'is shaped so. as, to coI .f.O i approximately with and fit the s a e f that port n of he c over he ey s ot a patien on ho he m s is. apliedn p ac ic the mate ial out. of which he mas is mo may e opaque. tran pa t tra s uce a d may e lati ely hin.- an flex; ible. The mask is of substantially universal shape and ize.- s a sin l ma k wil confo mon l fi f cos of. a matte fne sons. sua y t e mask is; astened in. place on h fac o er theeyes bra strap ll. which is uckled aroundfthe. head; oi. thefpatientl. The: low r portion of h s nny ormed, w th. a nose cavity IZQWhichiS shaped so as to fit closely over the brid e o he nose. The. o y portion the m sk over he yes is-fo m d w h an inner fo wa dly ex e ded ohamher '13.. W. o latter. is ro mdi d latera lvbr arela yol' broad nd ess ma in H The inner surfa e ll! o id morie111, whic conoore, c nforms a fit he s a e of he faceinclu iing the rid e of t e nose and'has a circuitous s tion. groo e n; h ch extends entirely around the chamber l3, within the mask and includes the nose portion. The suction groove has an admission passage 1 6 leading outwardly through the margin M, at any convenient location.

The suction groove holds a relatively thin, endless and flexible channel insert H,the body portion of which is cemented or otherwise fastened in the endless and circuitous groove l5. Said insert conforms with the groove l5 throughout its length and is formed on its opposite edges with a pair of endless flexible suction flaps l8. These flaps may be recessed freely at l9 (Fig. 4), in the marginal wall M of the mask and are adapted. to

3 function and bend outwardly by suctional force to produce fluid tight contact with the surface of the face and thus seal the mask when the latter is applied in use. The channel member I1 has an air suctional supply tubing 20 (Fig. which is extended outwardly through a nipple 2| on the margin I4 and is connected with a suitable source of negative air or other fluid pressure. As shown in Fig.6, the negative "fluid pressure source is produced by means of the air siphon B, of usual construction, which is actuated and controlled by the pressure fluid supply faucet 22.

The circuitous channel insert I1 is composed of rubber, cellophane or other suitable freely flexible material, whereby the flaps l8 thereof are actuated by suction fluid. In this manner a fluid tight connection is produced between the endless margin I4 and the surface of the face of a patient on which the device is applied. By this means the mask is held and sealed tightly on the face to prevent leaking of exercising fluid from chamber I3 when in use. i

The chamber I3 is provided with a fluid supply duct 23, which extends outwardly through the nipple 24 and is shown connected with a faucet D, which is adapted to control the supply of exercising fluid at any desired pressure and temperature for application to the eyeballs.

In use the mask isfirst fastened on the head over the eyes of a patient by the strap While thus held in place the suction siphon B is operated to produce negative air pressure in the channel l1, whereupon the suction fluid flaps 3 are actuated and secured firmly and tightly by suction on the face over the eyes of the patient. The fluid chamber I3 is thus prevented from leak- .ing. While the mask is thus held in place the eye exercising fluid which is controlled by an attendant at any predetermined constant or variable pressure and suitabletemperature is applied through chamber I3 in contact with the eyeballs While the latter are exercised under the control of an attendant or operator to correct and strengthen eyesight and vision. In this manner the function of the device and the method of exercising the eyes and improving eye sight are made more eifective.

In Fig. 7, the chamber l3 of the mask is provided with inlet and outlet ducts 25 and 26, through which the exercising fluid may be circulated in a continuous stream while maintained at any suitable pressure and temperature which best suits the condition of the eyeballs which are exercised.

In Fig. 8, the mask 0 is shown when extended below the nose and is suitably shaped with its margin 14' adapted to be tightly held by suitable flaps l8 upon the surface of the face of the patient. In this construction air tubes 21 and 28 (Figs. 8 and 9) are inserted tightly in the passages of the nose and extend outwardly through the Wall of the mask. These tubes are adapted to permit free breathing by the patient through the nose without any leaking of fluid from within the mask.

In Fig. 10, the means for sealing and securing the mask tightly on the face of a patient is provided by a pair of continuous flexible flaps 30-30, which are formed with a continuous suction channel 3| therebetween and as an integral part of the body of the mask on the inner surface throughout the length of the margin M. The entire mask including the suction flaps 30-30, with the suction channel 3| between is molded integrally out of rubber or other suitable flexible material, whereby the mask can be held tightly on the face of a patient by suction applied through the channel 3| and by the flaps. A dust 32 is connected with the channel 3| by which a source of fluid suction pressure is connected with the channel 3|. By this construction the mask and sealing flaps are a self contained unit which simplifies construction and improves the effectiveness of the device.

Further modifications are contemplated within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claim.

We claim:

An apparatus for exercisin muscles controlling the movement of the eyeballs, comprising a flexible mask shaped to fit closely over the face of the patient and having therein a single, unitary, fluid-holding chamber elliptical in shape and covering an extensive area of the face defined by the middle forehead, nose bridge and the outer extremities of the eye sockets, an endless groove seated in the inner surface of said mask and defined by the periphery of the aforesaid elliptical fluid-holding chamber, a pair of inner and outer endless suction-actuated flaps extending from said endless groove to form an air exhaust passage therebetween and disconnected from said fluid-holding chamber, a source of suction fluid connected with said exhaust passage for causing said flaps to adhere tightly to the face of the patient and positively prevent fluid from leaking from within said chamber and over the face of the patient, and a separate source of fluid under pressure connected with said chamber for exerting pressure on the eyeballs.

GORDON P. FELTS. ROBERT W. SEEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,006,945 Houston Oct. 24, 1911 1,246,971 Maier Nov. 20, 1917 1,437,435 Maier Dec. 5, 1922 

